Speaking Boost · A2 · Lesson 6 of 50
Speaking Boost A2 · Block 2: Home and Town

How big are homes around the world?

Big American houses, small British homes, and flats in Hong Kong smaller than a parking space! Describe your home room by room, choose the best flat, and show a flat as an estate agent.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Your home

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Do you live in a flat or a house?
  2. How many rooms are there in your home?
  3. What is your favourite room? Why?
  4. What can you see from your window?
  5. Who do you live with?
  6. What would you like to change in your home?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence about your home.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. We live in a small on the fifth floor.
  2. In the evening, we watch films in the .
  3. I cook dinner in the .
  4. In summer, I drink my coffee on the .
  5. Our flat is on the , so there are no stairs.
  6. In my parents' house, the bedrooms are .
  7. My clothes are in the .
  8. We don't own our flat. We it.
2.3

Where do you...?

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. You sleep in the
    .
  2. You have a shower in the
    .
  3. You keep clothes in a
    .
  4. small ↔
  5. upstairs ↔
  6. Tables and chairs are
    .
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to describe your home.

  • I live in a... with... rooms.Я живу в ... з ... кімнатами.I live in a flat with three rooms.
  • There is / There are...Є... / Там є...There is a big sofa and there are two armchairs.
  • My favourite room is... because...Моя улюблена кімната — ..., тому що...My favourite room is the kitchen because it's cosy.
  • It's next to / opposite / between...Це поруч з / навпроти / між...The bathroom is next to the bedroom.
  • There isn't enough...Не вистачає...There isn't enough space for all my books.
  • From my window, I can see...З мого вікна я бачу...From my window, I can see the park.
  • We're thinking of...Ми думаємо...We're thinking of painting the walls blue.
  • Make yourself at home!Будь як удома!Come in! Make yourself at home!
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Big homes, small homes

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

How big are homes around the world?

How big is your home? The answer depends a lot on where you live.

In Australia and the USA, new houses are some of the biggest in the world, often around 200 square metres. Many have four bedrooms, two or three bathrooms, a big garden and a garage for two cars.

In Europe, homes are usually smaller. In the UK, many new homes are quite small, and people often complain that there is not enough space.

And in some very expensive cities, homes are tiny. In Hong Kong, some people live in "nano flats". Some of these flats are smaller than a parking space for a car! There is a bed, a small kitchen and a tiny bathroom, all in one room.

Some people choose small homes. In many countries, "tiny houses" are popular. They are cheap, easy to clean and good for the environment. But can a family really live in 20 square metres? What do you think?

3.2

True or false?

  1. New houses in Australia and the USA are often very big.
  2. Many American houses have one small bathroom.
  3. Some people in the UK say there is not enough space in their homes.
  4. In Hong Kong, some flats are smaller than a car parking space.
  5. Tiny houses are expensive and hard to clean.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. How many square metres is your home? Is it big or small for your city?
  2. Could you live in a nano flat? Why or why not?
  3. Would you like a tiny house in the country?
  4. What do people need most in a home?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

There is / There are

To say what exists in a place.

There is a sofa in the living room. There are two bedrooms.

Is there...? / Are there...?

Questions.

Is there a balcony? Are there any shops near your flat?

Prepositions of place

Where things are.

in, on, under, next to, opposite, between, behind, in front of, above

Use some in positive sentences and any in negatives and questions: There are some books on the shelf. There aren't any plants. Are there any chairs? Careful: ✗ There is two rooms → There are two rooms.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. three rooms in my flat.
  2. a big mirror in the bathroom.
  3. a lift in your building?
  4. There aren't
    plants in my kitchen.
  5. The lamp is
    the table.
  6. The sofa is
    the TV.
  7. The cat is sleeping
    the bed.
  8. The bathroom is
    the bedroom.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. There is two balconies. →
  2. Are there a garden? →
  3. There aren't some chairs. →
  4. The picture is on the wall above of the sofa. →
  5. The TV is in front the sofa. →
  6. The shop is between the bank or the café. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use there is / there are and prepositions.

  1. Describe your home room by room. What is there in each room?
  2. Where is everything in your bedroom?
  3. Describe your kitchen. What is there and what isn't there?
  4. Describe the home you lived in as a child.
  5. What is there near your home (shops, a park, a bus stop)?
  6. Describe your perfect living room.
5

Flat hunting

8 min
5.1

Which flat?

Describe each flat: what is there, what isn't there? Which flat would be good for a student, a family with two kids, and an old couple? Which one would you choose?

Flat A

City centre

  • 1 room, 25 m²
  • 5th floor, no lift
  • Small balcony with a view
  • Expensive
Flat B

Suburbs

  • 3 rooms, 70 m²
  • Ground floor, big garden
  • 40 minutes to the centre
  • Cheap
Flat C

Near the park

  • 2 rooms, 45 m²
  • New building, lift
  • Small kitchen, big bathroom
  • Medium price
5.2

My room

Use there is / there are and prepositions.

  1. Describe the room you're in right now: what is there and where is it?
  2. Your teacher closes their eyes and tries to imagine it. Then they ask you questions.
  3. What would you like to change in this room?
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. When did you move into your home?
  2. What floor do you live on?
  3. Do you have a balcony or a garden?
  4. Which room do you spend most time in?
  5. Is your home quiet or noisy?
  6. What is your favourite piece of furniture?
  7. Do you like your neighbours?
  8. Do you rent or own your home?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Describe your parents' or grandparents' home.
  2. Who has the most beautiful home you know?
  3. Do your friends live in flats or houses?
  4. Where do people in your city usually live?
  5. What is the strangest home you have ever visited?
  6. Do young people in Ukraine live with their parents?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is it better to rent or buy a home?
  2. Do we need big homes to be happy?
  3. Is it better to live in a flat or a house?
  4. Are homes too expensive in your city?
  5. What makes a home cosy?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

The estate agent

You

Estate agent

You are an estate agent. Show a flat (real or imagined) to a client:
  • tell them where the flat is and how big it is
  • describe every room: what is there and where
  • tell them about the neighbours and the area
  • say why it's a great flat
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use there is / there are and prepositions.
Your teacher

Client

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. Is there a lift?
  2. How many bedrooms are there?
  3. Is there a washing machine?
  4. Are there any shops near here?
7.2

The new flat

You

Proud owner

You have just moved into a new flat. Your friend calls you and wants to know everything about it:
  • where it is and what floor
  • how many rooms and what is in each room
  • what you love and what you don't like
  • what you're going to buy for it
You do most of the talking. Use: There is... · There aren't any... · My favourite room is... · From my window, I can see...
Your teacher

Curious friend

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. Is it big?
  2. Is there a balcony?
  3. What's the kitchen like?
  4. When can I visit?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

flatliving roomkitchenbalconyfurniturewardrobecosyrent
  1. We live in a two-room .
  2. The TV is in the .
  3. My mum is cooking in the .
  4. I have breakfast on the in summer.
  5. We need new for the bedroom.
  6. Put your coat in the .
  7. It's a small but house.
  8. We our flat from an old lady.
H2

there is / there are and prepositions

  1. two bedrooms.
  2. a lamp on the desk.
  3. a garage?
  4. There aren't chairs in the kitchen.
  5. The keys are the table.
  6. The bank is the park.
  7. The dog is sleeping the table.
  8. The café is the bank and the shop.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. There are three rooms in our flat.
  2. There is two bathrooms.
  3. Is there a balcony?
  4. There aren't some plants.
  5. The TV is opposite the sofa.
  6. The lamp is in front the window.
  7. Are there any shops near your home?
H4

Match the two halves

  1. I live in a flat
  2. There is a big sofa
  3. My favourite room is the kitchen
  4. The bathroom is
  5. There isn't enough space
  6. From my window,
  7. Come in!

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.